the blog

October 25, 2016

Client Feature: Shine Papers

We love fun projects, especially when we get to collaborate with wildly creative people like the team at Shine Papers. Shine approached us to develop a promotional item that needed to be as desirable as what they offer their customers: 24-karat gold. And who doesn’t want a little bling? Although Shine is most notable for its rolling papers, its site is also the perfect destination for all items related to the smoking enthusiast. As the company that literally makes gold go up in smoke, the promotional product they wanted had to reflect the high standards of its client base while remaining hip and on-trend.

The Project

When they approached us, the guys over at Shine were interested in a New Era–type hat, a style that’s very popular across several demographics. We used this as a starting point but quickly realized we could do better. And so we did. We created something 100 percent original—something that would truly, well…shine.

The Result

We approached the project piece by piece and focused on each section of the hat. KARST ran through five different prototypes to ensure every aspect of the creation was not only more than what the client expected, but unique and authentic. And we’re not going to lie, we kind of fell in love with the hat. What we came up with was pretty badass. It had customized thread texture and color, as well as 3D embroidery, applied to the exterior. And the interior of the hat was just as fabulous. It boasts a custom tag and “Shine” taping. The outcome wasn’t just their logo on someone else’s hat—inside and out — It’s a Shine hat.

The Takeaway

And it came as a result of teamwork and collaboration between Karst and Shine. Our designers brainstormed with their marketing team to rebrand an item that at first was just a promotional piece. In the end, they had an exclusively branded, marketable item that could be used internally as personal gear or sold as actual merchandise. How did this all come together? Why was this collaboration successful? Because Karst understands that promotional products are an extension of a brand. To be successful, they need to engage customers, have a specific purpose, and be distinctly original.

“We started with what they thought they wanted, and this is what we knew they needed.”-Michelle